Renegades Weekly Recap #2 Dec 12-18

Hejduk has a breakout week as Renegades begin to roll 

Week Record: 2-0-1

Games: 12/13 @ Mammoths 3-2 OTL, 12/15 vs Admirals 4-2 W, 12/17 vs Ravens 4-3 W

The Renegades have started to turn their luck around, getting five points in their six games this past week.

 The Renegades lines are really starting to click now.  Most notably the second line.  Milan Hejduk, the right winger of the third line, scored two goals and had three assists in the last three games.  The left wing of the second line, Matthew Lombardi, also had 2 goals and three assists this week and the last member of the line, Dainius Zubrus, had four points this week with two goals and two assists.  It’s not surprising that the second line was the first line to start gaining chemistry, as this is the only offensive line composed of players that played for the Renegades last season.  Hejduk, Zubrus and Lombardi all have experience playing with each other last year, withZubrus and Lombardi both on the same line a year ago.

Craig Anderson has continued to perform respectably with a .907 save percentage.  His weakness is that he has been letting in a lot of third period goals.  He has allowed five of the eight goals Anderson has allowed these past three games have been in the third period.

Highly touted free agent acquisition Teemu Selanne scored his first and second goal as a Renegade this week.

Goals: Patrick Kane 2 (3), Matthew Lombardi 2 (3), Teemu Selanne 2 (2), Milan Hejduk 2 (2), Dainius Zubrus 2 (3), Alexander Steen (1)

Game of the Week:  Last Friday night, the Renegades played their first game of their first of two home and home series against the Ravens in New York City this month.  On the shot chart, the teams were dead even.  With a quiet first seeing five shots from both teams, and by the end of the game, both teams had exactly 32 shots.  The difference was the goaltending job of Craig Anderson and the play making job of the Renegades skaters.  This game featured the Renegades traditional offensive force which had been lacking at the start of the season.  The Renegades took a commanding 4-1 lead into the fourth when the Ravens scored two quick goals to bring the game close 4-3.  This close game brewed a fight between Teemu Selanne and Henrik Sedin.  Sedin was also given a game misconduct for instigating the fight.  This gave the Renegades a power play which Patrick Kane was able to take advantage of, and score his third goal of the season, putting the game away for the Renegades.

3 Stars of the Week:

1) RW Milan Hejduk – 2 goals 4 assists

2) LW Matthew Lombardi – 2 goals 4 assists

3) C Dainius Zubrus – 2 goals 3 assists

Transactions:  The Renegades brought up rookie Kevin Shattenkirk replacing Brian Willsie who is currently suspended for the rest of the season for unknown reasons.  Shattenkirk should help the weak defense and replace Adam Foote in the three lines as Foote has been battling fatigue and personal issues.  Foote should still see playing time every night but not very much.  The Renegades also sent down Ryan Hollweg for wing Jiri Tlusty.

Rumors:  The Renegades had stated earlier that they were not going to make any trades effecting their NHA roster for at least a month or two no matter what the teams record is.  But with this being said, rumor has it that Adam Foote is being shopped do to the emergence of Kevin Shattenkirk.  The Renegades are looking for prospects or a young 3^rd/4^th wing offensive forward in exchange for Foote.

Next Weeks Schedule:  The Renegades will complete the home-in-home series against the New York Ravens in  Raleigh Sunday night.  They will then fly to Edmonton to take on the Freeze, and then return home that night to face the Los Angeles Predators the very next day.  Their last game of the week will be on Christmas Eve in Tampa to play their second of three games against the Admirals this season.